I’ve always loved color; I had nearly every paint color available in the art supply store in my paintbox at home during design school. I could spend hours trying to mix a particular shade for my artwork. This is a trait my muse Meha Bhargava made me aware of. Still, I used to shy away from wearing much color. A little over a year ago, I fit in perfectly in New York, where black is an official color.

Today, however, I can intuitively mix and match bright and neutral tones. My image consultant training has given me an appreciation for color, as well as the tools to wear colors correctly. I’m likelier to be seen wearing colored denim with colored blouses, or colorful dresses with colorful jackets (Deep, sincere love for Kate Spade, Lilly Pulitzer, Nanette Lepore, Diane Von Furstenberg, and JCrew) than I am to be seen wearing neutrals such as black – which used to be my go-to year-round. Recently I’ve started to pick up bold, colorful neckpieces and accessories as well. My most recent favorite is this JCrew neckpiece in a bright orange color.

Colors bring an outfit to life, make you look beautiful (when chosen correctly), feel happy, and they make a statement – all at the same time. My muse, Meha’s always loved colors. I’ve always seen her putting together bold hues in her clothes, accessories, bags, and shoes.

“Colors are my best friend. Apart from Lime Greens and Hunter/Forest Greens I am good with everything on the wheel. Favorites being the Blues and Corals! Moving across the color wheel, making bold choices in term of analogous and split complementary is fun!”

~Meha Bhargava

On C for ColorMuse of the Month : Meha Bhargava

Meha believes she owes her love of colors to her mother:

“I was always a well matched child..with my dress matching my shoes and my accessories matching them all. I dont think I’ve ever had the moment when some one told me, “They Dont Match!””

She likes keeping a wardrobe neutral (simply a color that is a silent spectator) i.e. Beiges, Blacks Reds and the Indigos etc..and then playing with accent colors throughout the look. Meha enjoys seeing how color changes one’s attitude for the day, and how a certain color brightens up cheeks vs. how a certain color dulls the personality.

“Who would’ve thought I’d pick up a salmon colored top and pair it with a bright red skirt? Beautiful and over-the-top combinations excite me.” ~Meha Bhargava

You could forget everything else as long as you remember these few rules:

It’s important to CINCH and/or HIGHLIGHT the waist.

For pants, and skirts, and dress bottoms – remember the goal, after waist definition, is to LENGTHEN. Wear heels to lengthen, or wear washes, prints, or pinstripe pants to lengthen. There are numerous ways.

Streamline your silhouette, especially with fabric just flowing over to help the eye move up & down vertically.

BALANCE is key. Not only do you want to balance your top and bottom, you want to make sure your pants are neither baggy, nor “painted-on”. If you wear volume in one place, balance it off with a slimmer-fitting pieces.

Dark shades and washes will help you look leaner. They minimize the lower half. Avoid versions that are bleached on the thighs.

Pants/Jeans/Trousers Styling

I love bootcut pants – trousers and denim. Not only is this style universally flattering, it accentuates the skinniness of an hourglass waist while simultaneously balancing top volume with the subtle flair it creates around the feet. Pairing heeled pumps, or booties with it will take off a few more visual pounds.

Mid-rise jeans are very flattering, while high-cut vs. low-cut circle in and out through fashion. Low-rise jeans may make hips look wider/legs shorter – so style with caution there. Add an attractive belt, especially with high-waist trousers to draw attention to the waist. Make sure the waistline is fitted to avoid the gaping waist problem.

Tapered leg cut jeans are flattering when you want the eyes drawn to shapely hips, to accentuate curviness. They are also preferable for the petite hourglass, while the wide leg/flared (more than the bootcut) styles are better for taller hourglass figures.

Try skinny jeans tucked into knee-high boots (especially if the boots have heels) – your legs will look longer, and this will balance your hips.

DO NOT wear denim without stretch. Make sure you can sit, jump, stand, hop, walk, run in the jeans before you commit.

Fabric in thick wools or bulky denim can widen the hourglass frame. LIKE fabrics that are drape-y – they should glide down the widest part of our hips. Clingy, spandex-cotton blend fabrics can also help for extra fitting.

Bottoms for the petite & hourglass – take inspiration from what these petite and tall hourglass figures are wearing

Skirts/Dress Bottoms – use the rules above + these:

A line and pencil skirts are your best friends!! (See Scarlett Johansson)

Voluminous tulip and full circle cuts, especially when high waisted are great styles – just make sure that you’re balancing volume on bottom with fit on top. Dita Von Teese ^ does this beautifully.

The hourglass figure is what many stylists and women aim to emulate. While this is true, hourglass figures can quickly end up looking askew – top-heavy, shapeless, or bottom-heavy – if the clothing is not chosen correctly.

You wear ‘tops’ & blouses with jeans, skirts, shorts, pants, leggings, and more. Let’s look at the attributes of the blouses that will be sexiest or most slimming for an hourglass figure. All of these qualities are based on these ideas:

The top should not have elements over-emphasize your bust or shoulders. Remember, you want to dress so that your top and bottom are balanced – not top-heavy.

It should elongate your neckline as much as possible.

It should end above the widest part of your hips. You gain a few pounds when the top ends at your hips because you lose your waist. Tops and jackets that come to the top of your hip bone are the most flattering for the hourglass body type.From “On Nine Rules – ‘Tops’ for the Inverted Triangle”, the rules are similar except for Rule #8. Because hourglass shapes have curvy hips, tops that extend past the hips will not slim hourglass shapes down the way they will an inverted triangle. Shorter blouses are actually preferred to better define the waist. Petites, shorter tops will also lengthen your legs.

It shouldn’t be too loose, that you look shapeless. It should flow with your natural shape. Baggier is not better.

Make sure your waist is defined. Define your waist. Define your waist. I cannot stress this enough. Consider this: without waist definition, you look heavier than you actually are. And who wants that?

Tops & blouses for the petite & hourglass – look for the rules in what these petite and tall hourglass figures are wearing

Based on the rules, AVOID these features.

Do not – I repeat – Do NOT wear tops with gaps open between buttons or tops that cling to any lumps/bumps (most of us have them, if not all). Make this a pledge, and also pledge to wear fitted tops that allow you to move freely.

If sleeveless, no spaghetti straps if you’re busty – they will make your shoulders look wider.

Large prints

Baby doll styling

Sleeves that widen below the elbow will add inches to your midsection.

Steer away from turtlenecks as much as possible.

LIKE these features in blouses:

V-necklines show off your collarbone = sexy. (Layer a tee or camisole underneath if busty and cleavage is inappropriate)

U-necklines

Scoop necklines

Sweetheart necklines

Surplice construction

Wrap styling

Semi-fitted/Close-fitted styling (looks especially great with a fitted waist and full skirt)

Small prints

Solid color

Princess Seaming (will accentuate your waist)

If sleeveless or one-shoulder, choose straps that are proportionate to your size. Also, choose this sleeveless-ness based on personal preference, cultural reference, tonal quality of your upper arms and the climate.

Nipped in the waist

3/4 sleeves are less bulky than full length sleeves.

Full empire waists are definitely a bad idea – but empire waist tops that hug your chest and flare out over your torso will look good if you replicate a kind of A-line skirt under the bust seam.

All that being said, look for pieces in your wardrobe, and then add pieces into your wardrobe. Check for oxford shirts, basic tees, camisoles, sweaters (v-necks), bowed blouses. and then more. Most importantly, have some fun!

The rule-breakers in fashion are the ones that are often the most stylish. Wearing white after Labor Day. Wearing black to weddings. Wearing fun flattering clothes. Getting cute accessories, bags, and shoes that are stylish in solid, good-looking materials other than leather. All of these are rules we no longer have to worry about thanks to stylish women who decided to break them.

That being said, nobody knows the rules better than the stylish women, and they know exactly why and how they are breaking them. Let’s look at the rules for the hourglass body type!

1) A waist is a terrible thing to waste. And hourglass figures must make sure that their waist is always the focal point. Belt it, cinch it, wrap it, corset it – do whatever you have to do to showcase your waist.

2) Especially true for curvy hourglass figures, Do Not Go Baggy. Big shapes will only make you look bigger. Boxy shapes must be balanced with something drapey – otherwise, you will look bulkier than you are. If only I understood this in high school…

3) Choose figure flattering fabrics. Drapey, soft fabrics with a bit of stretch really accentuate and flow with your curves. Also, take into account the weather. It doesn’t matter how great you look if you’re going to be uncomfortable all day.

Petite is not size 0. Petite is not skinny, nor is petite equivalent to small-boned.

“Petite” means shorter than 5’4″ because petite designs are made for women of that stature. Wearing petite clothing (if you are petite) means no more baggy dress tops, jeans and pants that aren’t dragging past your heels without hemming – clothes fit much better when the length is taken into account. It is also important for people who are taller than the standard height (5’4″) to take into account that they may have a petite torso or petite legs.

The basic petite figure types are similar to the body shapes listed in On the Inverted Triangle (Part 1), only shorter. There are petite inverted triangles, triangles, rectangles, pears, apples, and more.

Typically, the difference between the hip and waist measurement is more than 8″.

Relatively curvy hips and thighs.

A naturally defined waist, however long or short it may be.

There’s a huge misconception that you must have a large bust to be an hourglass figure. There are skinny, average, and curvy hourglass figures — it’s all about the relative size of your bust and waist.

The Petite Hourglass Body Type

With a curvy petite hourglass figures, it becomes even more important to give definition to the waist – something Meha does fabulously. We’ll learn more from her in the upcoming posts.

First there was Coco Chanel and then there was the Le Smoking from YSL. Then came the la garconne dressing, and fast forward a few decades – the androgynous looks became popular. Now borrowing from the opposite gender’s wardrobe has become commonplace. The blazer, anorak, leather jacket, cargos, and boyfriend jeans – and now the boyfriend tee – pieces we have borrowed from the men – are all officially found in women stores now. There are tuxedo jackets for dresses – Glenn Close in Zac Posen at the Oscars. Menswear inspired womenswear is now seen on the street, on screen, and on the red carpet all the time now.

Borrowing from the Boys, Guys, and Men - As Seen on the Red Carpet

Take note, that menswear is never synonymous to baggy, no matter what it may seem like on the street around you. Take inspiration by mixing slouchy and feminine pieces with structured, tailored, and more angular pieces. It’s all in the balance. If you’re wearing a tailored jacket or trousers, make it your own by adding a sparkly, soft, or sensuous piece to the mix. Wear sky high heels and/or a statement necklace. Soft neutrals, jewel tones, or bright neons – they all look fabulous with black and nude alike – also consider the beautiful black & white combination with one other color in accessories.

Every book of style talks about the men’s shirt and how its cut looks so great when it finds its place on feminine curves. So many movies will showcase a man’s button down shirt on a woman. The key is finding an oversized shirt in a color (or white), print, or pattern that works for you – and defining your waist to ensure you don’t drown in it. Higher thread counts will look great thrown over your swimsuit at the beach.

Borrowing from the Boys, Guys, and Men - As Seen on the Street

The true borrowing lies in getting the details, and accessories right. I love men’s watches, especially those by Kenneth Cole and Michael Kors. There is something about the juxtaposition of a men’s large watch on a woman’s wrist that is very today. Sure, there is room for the delicate watch bracelets, but that isn’t for a contemporary look. Wear both, and see which you like on yourself more. This isn’t a costume. You should feel at home in what you’re wearing. Maybe try mixing it in with a bunch of bangles in similar tones or material. Work the watch into your look – make sure it doesn’t stand out like an awkward teenager.

Before investing in Michael Kors and Kenneth Cole, I borrowed my brother’s automatic Tommy Hilfiger watch for a while. Maybe borrowing from the boys may mean shopping in a closet without spending any money at the mall!

Waistcoats and vests. Black, colored, or denim – slouchy and/or tailored – these are always useful to throw on over a shirt or tshirt – especially in the summer when you don’t have to wear a jacket over the look.

Ties. Love love love ties. The ascot ties Miu Miu, featured in “Incorporating Androgynous Runway Fashion”, can be found in gorgeous bold prints to wear with printed or solid color shirts. Slim, bold colored ties look really great on women. I was working with a manager at Rugby in their operations, and she came wearing a white shirt with a slim navy tie and denim – the look was powerful. Themuseflash will someday make a post just about ties. But until then, just know that you can wear them pretty much anyway you want. And if you’re not into that, wear them as an interesting belt! (seriously)

Cufflinks are really interesting accessories. These are very personal pieces that I have to try on with what I intend to wear them with. For men and women both, cufflinks are usually best when they’re quirky, and very related to the wearer’s personality – they look best on simple french cuff shirt that suit or are tailored to your body.

Collection of Menswear Inspired Womenswear^ So much love for these cufflinks ^

It’s important to feel inspired by the people and objects we see, hear, touch, and smell. Without inspiration, we wouldn’t be able to move forward in life; life would remain static. It is just as important to experiment and try new things in life. Without this, one cannot grow and remains limited within boundaries, both imagined and real.

It is equally important to not lose sight of the goal of experimenting however, which is to: discover where it is that you feel most comfortable, and to define that.

I recently discovered a love for maxi dresses. Most people advocate wearing flats when wearing a maxi. At my petite height, wearing flats would mean that I would likely drown in my dress. I wear wedges with my maxis, without caring about what people are thinking. I discovered in this process, that Jennifer Aniston and many other celebrities have it right: people are always going to judge you. You will always be too skinny, too fat, too tall, too short, too simple, or too flashy. When you feel comfortable, you look the most stylish. I discussed this in detail in “On Being Comfortable”, something I believes applies to my current muse, Arshia Arora, as well.

The goal, after finding where you feel best, is definition. Being inspired by everything doesn’t mean that you look like 30 different personalities in a month, unless of course that is who you are. It means accepting where you feel good, and letting go of what doesn’t feel right to narrow your wardrobe choices.

Forget the labels, and what people think of you. Who knows what “androgynous”, “feminine”, “royal”, “chic”, etc. mean anyway? There are multiple definitions of each, because these are born in personal opinion. There is no blanket definition. Once you recognize your style, you can build your wardrobe to synchronize and maximize what’s in it.

That leather jacket you have. Is it going to be an experimental style, or is that something you feel at home in? Then you can combine it with denim, workwear to evening wear, sundresses, etc. Are you a pants girl, or a skirts girl? I made a friend at a conference last weekend, who mentioned to me that she loves wearing tshirts. She wears them with a blazer and pencil skirt for work. For her, investing in quality skirts, blazers and basic tshirts gives her wardrobe synchronicity, and flair. Investing in shirts wouldn’t give her as much mileage.

As a recent exercise, I starte”d to think of characters: “Blair” – Leighton Meester in Gossip Girl, “Serena” – Blake Lively of Gossip Girl, “Miss Pillsbury” of Glee – imagine dressing one in clothes from another. Each of these women is stylish, and incredibly unique. That is the goal.

I recommend that Arshia, and all of us experiment to define our individual style fearlessly, and find our unique space. With this definition, it’s easy to be stylish. Without this definition, you remain in a place where you’re unsure of yourself, and unwilling or unable to make attempts to express who you are without fear of judgement – this shows in wardrobe choices.

As androgyny in fashion becomes more commonplace, we see a strong variation in how much women want to borrow. Some women wear a tuxedo better than men – we saw this on Carrie Bradshaw at her best gay’s wedding in SaTC (btw, tuxedo jackets are a piece to hold onto this Spring/Summer 2012). Other women with a more feminine style feel that investing in a men’s watch or oxford shoes is a commitment. It’s worth taking a moment to study fashion history, as discussed in “Androgyny in Fashion” to figure out what degree of menswear fashion styling is best for you. There is no right or wrong here – simply a need to experiment and find where you feel most comfortable. The goal is to create a seamless transition that makes your style seem effortless.

Early on, high fashion designers, such as Helmut Lang, Giorgio Armani, and Pierre Cardin hit the public mainstream with androgynous clothing. The trend that Coco Chanel started has now spread far and wide all the way to high volume, low cost stores such as Forever 21, Zara, and H&M.

Have you noticed the trend over the last decade? Men are seen sporting longer hair with hairdyes and highlights while women are seen sporting shorter hair – notice the variations of the pixie cut that Victoria Beckham and Halle Berry were seen sporting? Women are increasingly wearing boyfriend jeans and blazers while men are starting to wear “girlfriend” skinnier jeans. It’s hard to talk about modeling without talking about Andre Pejic and Agyness Deyn. And these are just some of the examples of how the line between genders has blurred considerably over the years.

Menswear Inspired Womenswear from the 2012 Runway - focus on the details.

This year, take inspiration from 3.1 Philim Lim, Helmut Lang, Derek Lam, Chloe, Alberta Ferreti, Max Mara, St. John, Theysken Theory, Prada and many many others. See how the structure is balanced with sensuous fabric and color, and in some instances sparkle. There are ties, oversized jackets, trousers, waistcoats, and hats in a multitude of colors, plaids, prints, and fabrics. At Peter Som, Jason Wu, and Tadashi Shoji, the looks for Fall 2012 are inspired by Marlene Dietrich – a woman who “wore pants, but still looked like a woman.”

Miu Miu’s runway had oversized, boxy jackets, waistcoats, ascots (ascot ties) – all in bold colorful prints. There will never be any excuse for a pantsuit to be boring every again. There are waist hugging belts, newsboy caps at Jen Kao, tilted fedoras at Giorgio Armani, and collars with ribbon “ties” at Barbara Bui and printed ascot ties and workwear at Miu Miu – while the ensembles on these runways are more difficult and expensive to incorporate into your wardrobe, these details will set you free.

A general rule of thumb for the petite inverted triangle? Anything huge will overwhelm your frame – mostly, stick to medium and small sized accessories. Larger handbags, like enormous prints, will tend to overwhelm your frame. Your investment pieces will be small to medium handbags if you’re petite, and large if you’re tall. Cross-body bags are an easy look and have a definite younger appeal – for an investment piece, I recommend a bag that is both a carry-able with handles, and has a strap that can either be attached or tucked in. Or a classic tote. I would suggest getting this bag in good quality leather, because it will last you. A unique bag with interesting details (whether they’re in the shape, handle, print, gathering, or closing mechanism) in a staple color will make for a great investment piece. Buy this in quality material.

When choosing jewelry, remember that bigger features demand bigger jewelry. Have smaller features? Make the jewelry smaller and finer. Neck pieces look best on the inverted triangle when they’re long and layered, especially if you have been gifted with an ample bust or have stronger shoulders than hips. Miss Parker has small to medium sized features, as do I. The chunky anything trend must be worn only after much consideration.

My wise muse recognizes this, of course: “I prefer slightly bigger earrings (not the BIG BIG ones – my face is too tiny to carry those off, but more medium sized). I love the pure silver pieces, as well as those with semi precious stones in them; these give me a colour to play with, to either match or contrast.” She’s absolutely right.

The cocktail ring is a trend that has a timeless quality, and can be an investment piece. These rings will add an artsy, unique flair to every hand they adorn. So choose wisely. Any rings, bracelets, and watches must be bought keeping in mind the size of your wrists and hands. A cocktail ring that covers three fingers of your already small hand makes not for an attractive style. That being said, I have a weakness and preference for men’s watches. Nina Garcia, and many other stylists share my love. I’m a huge huge fan of Michael Kors, of course. He has a divine way with them.

Inverted triangles, especially petite, should avoid piling on layers of thick garments one on top of the other. This only drags your frame downward and expands your width. Petite women have less space to work with. Unless it’s an exception to the rule, keeping your outfit simple and placing a few accessories strategically will help. A little will go a long way, both in size and number. Avoiding distraction will help you look lean. When you layer, and you must layer, try chic cardigans and sweaters - as seen in both, Forever 21 and J Crew.

Belts also, will work wonders, especially to cinch your waist and create/define the smallest part of you. Alternatively, for more oomph, wrapping the belt snugly will create a flare at the bottom of the garment and create curves. Belts wrapped around a loose top with dolman sleeves will also look very stylish.

You may also add a pair of bright colored shoes or anything eye-catching to fully draw the eye downward. Soumya Parker and I have a beautiful love affair with shoes – this love will get its own post, soon.

I left sunglasses last, because these are tricky. They are a piece that you must try and figure out according to your face shape. Don’t leave these out, however. They really will pull together your look on sunny days.

Disclaimer: not mine, but a very interesting infographic about sunglasses. Find what style is best for you!

Or find a style by your favorite movie. (Although I really don't recommend basing it entirely on that)

They say every gift comes with a curse. While the inverted triangle is often gifted with long legs and an ample bust, the inverted triangle (especially the petite) is “cursed” with a short torso and a lack of curve at the hips. So Rule #1? An inverted triangle must define the waist. This is key for ‘tops’ – by which I mean pieces for the upper body: blouses, shirts, dresses, sweaters, and jackets. Examples are: flare hems; nipped and waist paneled styles; belted outerwear; vertically pleated styles; wrap styles such as wrap cardigans and sweaters. Waist-defining pieces will also add curves to your hips.

Indian Kurtas, as Soumya Parker correctly notes, are a very forgiving choice of clothing. A kurta is typically a loose tunic shirt worn in India – it may be collarless, or with collar. Worn at a hip to knee length and form-fitted, kurtas soften the shoulders and nip in at the waist to create a cleanly defined waist. This leads us to Rule #2. Kurtas and Western knitwear made out of cotton fabrics, linen fabrics, and/or silk fabrics with a fine gauge will be better because thick knits will add bulk to your upper body.

Rule #3. Widening necklines bad. U-neck, V-neck, and scoop necklines are good. Especially compared to the wide scoop, square, and other widening necklines, they will slim down and elongate your torso. Keeping the top relatively simple and smooth will help you avoid drawing attention to your upper body. Wider necklines must be accessorized with something slim and vertical down your chest. Try a long pendant necklace or a simply styled scarf. Rule #4. Showing more of your skin, as with a deeper neckline, will elongate your frame. There’s less contrast to visually cut you up. Conservatively, try wearing clothing similar to your skin tone or wearing a fitted camisole (also similar to your skin tone) underneath; these will give you the same long and lean look.

Rule #5: soft and drapey fabrics will soften the shoulders. Raglan, dolman, dropped shoulder point, shoulder slit and cutout sleeves will all minimize your shoulders. Try to stay away from shoulder pads and strong shoulder details, unless it’s for costume. In a professional setting, make sure your sleeves aren’t even half an inch shorter than your arms. It’ll distort the length of your arms visually to make them appear shorter. Showing off some skin makes you look longer and leaner, but not when the extra skin is your wrist in what is supposed to be a long-sleeved blouse.

Have you ever noticed that thin straps make your shoulders and upper body look relatively wider? So for sleeveless, Rule #6 – try wide or large straps, or even multiple thin straps. You could layer a few tanks in complimentary colors one on top of the other to achieve this look.

Strategically work with prints, shapes and details to make the eye go up and down. Trust me; vertical details are your best friends. And that’s rule #7. This means: Zip fronts, cable knit patterns, pleats, visible vertical stitches.

Soumya Parker mentions, “I always wear long tops or layer with a long camisole. Other wise, my torso looks too short; this, at least adds an illusion of length.” She is absolutely right. Rule # 8. When these ‘tops’ extend past your hip-line, they balance out your wide shoulders by drawing attention away from that area, as well as elongating your torso. She’s also right about putting short tops on her list of things that don’t work that well for her, unless worn with high waist jeans as a look. There are better alternate options that would balance Soumya’s body type because these both would deter from elongating the torso. Her two lists, as mentioned in On the Two Lists, already look pretty sound.

Of course. Last but not least. Rule #9. Simplicity is key. Less is more. You’ll look taller without too much fuss. This matches Soumya’s personality and style anyway – classic, simple, and fuss free.